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Prisons

LGBT Prisoner Advocacy

STATUS: Ongoing | Nationwide

NCLR works at the local, state and federal levels to ensure that LGBT prisoners are as safely housed as possible and have access to life-saving medical care.

LGBT people housed in prisons and jails face dire problems related to their sexuality and gender identity. They are often placed in segregated housing “for their own protection,” which deprives them of jobs, education, and other programming that could shorten their sentences and better prepare them for release.

When prisoners are placed in solitary confinement, they typically spend 23 hours a day alone in their cells with only an hour to exercise or bathe (also alone). Solitary confinement is extremely dangerous to prisoners’ mental health. Transgender prisoners also encounter serious problems obtaining hormones and other medical care, and are at extreme risk of being sexually assaulted by staff or other inmates.

We will continue to work with local, state, and federal officials to ensure that LGBT prisoners are as safe as possible, that transgender prisoners are housed in accordance with their gender identity, and that LGBT prisoners have access to proper medical care.